A hearty “Welcome home” to Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American prisoner of war from the Afghan conflict, who was released in exchange for five highly valued Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Forgetting for the moment the merits and legality of the transfer and its implications for the safety of Americans, in Afghanistan and around the world who may become kidnapping targets of Taliban terrorists seeking similar exchanges, at least Sgt. Bergdahl is now safe.
Appearing with his parents at the White House, President Obama said:
“Right now, our top priority is making sure that Bowe gets the care and support that he needs, and that he can be reunited with his family as soon as possible.”
Well said, Mr. President.
But what about another American solider, Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi, who is being kept in a Mexican jail like a prisoner of war?
Shouldn’t he get “the care and support that he needs . . . and be “united with his family as soon as possible”?
While the Obama administration has freed 36,007 convicted criminal aliens whose crimes included murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and aggravated assault — crimes for which most American citizens would probably be locked up and the keys thrown away; the Mexican government, a supposed friend of the United States, is treating this United States Marine like he was a prisoner of war complete with being beaten and chained to a bed.
Why?
Because he apparently made a wrong turn and wound up in Mexico with guns he lawfully possessed and disclosed to Mexican authorities.
For that innocent mistake, he was treated like a wartime captive by Mexican officials who seem to believe that the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” are at the Mexican-U.S. border instead of our own Statue of Liberty — which welcomes those who want to do it the legal way — and do little to discourage their own from crossing the border illegally.
I guess it is easier to beat a United States Marine chained to a bed than take out the various drug cartels who are wreaking havoc in their country. Remember “Fast and Furious?”
Unfortunately, an administration that will exercise its executive powers to help “Dreamers” stay in the United States and releases thousands of illegal alien criminals on the streets of America is impotent to help a United States Marine who has fought for his country in Afghanistan and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
So, where are the secretary of state and the president? As was the case in Benghazi, both appear to be absent without leave?
Now let’s pretend that Sgt. Tahmooressi was not a United States Marine who had made a wrong turn winding up in Mexico. Let’s pretend that he was a member of the Russian military or a Russian national who made the same mistake.
Do you think for one minute that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have sent the president of Mexico a message, either publicly or privately: “Let our people go”?
The result? The Russian would probably have been on a plane to Moscow within days if not hours.
Why the difference?
Contrary to what the president told West Point graduates that “America must always lead on the world stage,” the reality is that it does not. It is no longer respected as a world or even regional leader.
As Tahmooressi’s mother told Steve Malzberg on Newsmax TV’s “The Steve Malzberg Show:”
"I have to wonder why it is that we have such little power and influence. I thought we were America the superpower.”
Why do we have, as Jill Tahmooressi asked, “so little power and influence?"
The answer Ms. Tahmooressi is because of the apologetic “lead from behind” philosophy of this administration and its rudderless, incoherent “turn the other cheek” foreign policy.
Because of a caring American public thanks to publicity given by Malzberg and Fox News’s Greta Van Sustern who made his case a cause celeb, Tahmooressi will probably be freed!
By the way, is anyone in Congress or major media asking why our millions of dollars in aid to Mexico are rewarded by barbaric treatment of an innocent member of the U.S. military?
Don’t hold your breath!
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns and has appeared on many national and local media outlets. Read more reports from Clarence V. McKee — Click Here Now.
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